Photo Essay: Gators of the Cree

Photos by Curtis Hall

From the moment we stepped off the float plane and onto the lodge dock, we were treated like family. Pat came down and greeted us before showing us to our rooms and handing us off to Lori, who showed us around the main room and kitchen, giving us the lowdown on how things work on the Cree.

The next thing we knew, we were ripping across the water, starting our hunt for northern pike, a.k.a. the “water wolf.”

We spent the first couple days fishing a mix of weed beds, drop-offs, shoals and other structure, sticking relatively close to the lodge. Our guides focused on areas known for large fish and also good numbers of fish. I spent much of my time capturing video, but still managed to catch at least 20 pike a day.

Here’s the first of three 40-plus-inch pike that Darryl caught while fishing out of Creek River Lodge. The largest of the three, this one measured about 44 inches.

Darryl’s better half, Lorrie, with her first(!) fish on a fly rod.

It’s hard to miss a pike in super skinny water—especially when they are tailing.

Good size grayling can be caught on a variety of dries, nymphs and streamers in an area called “the rapids.”

Landing a trophy fish takes hard work, perseverance, and often numerous fishless days. That is, unless you’re fishing the Cree River with  guides Dwayne “Chip” Cromarty, Gary Hanke, and Adam “Georgie” George.

Pat and his team have secret shore-lunch spots set up around the Wapata system. Each day, we enjoyed fish fries consisting of walleye and pike, prepared in several different ways. George has a culinary background, and his pike “rib bites” were fantastic. Fun fact: Pike from the cold waters of Northern Saskatchewan actually taste better than walleye—as countless blind taste tests proved.

While pike are notorious for shredding flies, a well-tied synthetic pattern provides durability and can stand up to multiple eats. This particular fly has accounted for a hundred fish and is still going strong.

While 8-to 10-weight, single-hand rods are standard, Jen preferred an 11-foot 6-weight switch rod, which enabled her to cast large pike flies, often into the wind, with less strain on her wrists.

The weather was a little nasty one morning, so we decided to tie flies. Chip and Gary are phenomenal anglers and tiers, and were happy to share their knowledge with us. While pike fishing isn’t very technical, these guides were very focused on fly design and materials. Years ago, I switched from hollow-tied synthetics to Zonker strips, as I believed that they move better in the water. After spending a week with Chip and Gary, I’m back on the synthetics.

A happy staff makes for happy clients and good vibes. After dinner, we would all hang out, enjoy a few beers, and tell fishing stories.

On the last day of our trip we decided to go on a little adventure and check out the “dunes.” We motored downriver for about three hours to a faster-flowing section where these massive sand dunes seemed to just appear out of nowhere.

That afternoon we left the women with Georgie’s and focused on finding a giant pike. While we did find several solid fish, including a couple 40-inchers and some aggressive popper-killers, we didn’t find the 50-incher we were hoping for.

In the North Country, summer weather, and a big pike in hand.

Cree River Lodge offers the perfect balance of grit, comfort, and value. While visiting Cree, guests enjoy large, spacious rooms, hearty meals, and extremely knowledgeable guides . . . all at nearly half the price of similarly equipped lodges. While remote fly-in fishing is never “cheap,” I can honestly say Cree River Lodge offers, dollar-for-dollar, the best pike fishing I have ever experienced.